Julie Chen Moonves Reveals Truth About How She Was Picked to Host ‘Big Brother': "I Was Meant To"
The host of Big Brother, Julie Chen Moonves, recently offered an interesting revelation about her path to becoming the franchise's face as viewers excitedly anticipate the return of the popular reality TV competition with its 25th season. Julie said in an exclusive interview with Entertainment Tonight that she wasn't the network's first choice to be the show's host.
Julie openly acknowledged that she was not CBS's top pick for the hosting job when asked if there were any secrets that the show's ardent followers might not be aware of. She disclosed that Meredith Vieira, a successful television personality in her own right and the former moderator of The View, had received an offer for the position from the network.
When Julie tried to confirm the claims regarding her casting process, the truth came to light. She recalled asking her husband, former CBS Chairman and CEO Les Moonves, about it at the time, saying, "I asked him. I said, 'You know, I heard stories back when I was cast on Big Brother to host that you guys asked Meredith Vieira first.' And he said it was true."
It turns out that Les Moonves had a specific idea of what the show's on-camera host should look like. "He said, 'I knew Big Brother was going to be kind of a trashy show… So, we wanted to class it up with the host.'" She added that "they offered it to her because she was a very well-respected name in the business."
Julie eventually took over as the Big Brother host following Meredith Vieira's refusal. She was already a CBS Morning News anchor when the offer was made, thus she was ready to accept the presenting job right away. With only one month until the start of the show, Julie took up the task and successfully made the switch from reporting to reality TV.
She said, "I know that I was meant to host Big Brother." Reflecting on her journey, Moonves acknowledged the growth she has experienced as both a human being and a host over the course of the show's 24 seasons. "I was terrible in the beginning," she confessed, "but I've grown so much as a human being and as a host… And I love it. I can't imagine not hosting Big Brother anymore."
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Big Brother has been a hit since its premiere in July 2000, enthralling viewers with its exciting competitions. Numerous spin-offs have been produced as a result of the success of the original program, including Big Brother: After Dark and Celebrity Big Brother, both of which are hosted by Julie. Julie has served as the franchise's steadfast face throughout the entire journey, earning her the reputation as the embodiment of the popular reality show.
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